Slide fastener



a M. BECKWITH 2,193,757 SLIDE FAsTEfiER Filed Nov. 29, 19:58

March 12, 1940.

I v INVENTOR. Gav/yen Beckwtih,

B %ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce George M. Beckwith,

Meadvllle, Pa., assignor to Talon, Inc.,' a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November My invention relates to slide monly called zippers. The term 29, 1938, Serial No. 242,970

11 Claims. (01.24-205) fasteners comzippers undoubtedly has its origin in the zipping sound made by the slider as it moves elements.

over

the fastener While as a novelty this may have been a desirable feature, the slide fastener is now being sold on a very large scale and it has'become a real utility item. It is make the fastener run as quietly as therefore desirable to possible and it is one of the objects of my invention to make the fastener operation relatively quiet.

Another object of my invention is to make the slider run smoother on the fastener.

of the operation of the ordinary Analysis slide fastener discloses the fact that, in the usual application,

the fastener elements emerging as the fastener is being opened, ratchet over of the slider.

from the slider will tend to the central neck or wedge element Similarly in closing unless the fastener is under considerable lateral strain in the locality of the slider,

the heads of the fastener elements will tend to ratchet over the slider neck. A further object of the invention is to prevent wear on the neck of the slider. of sliders have been devised with of wedge-shaped necks. However,

Various types various forms with the conventional form of fastener it is practically impossible with any type neck, to secure a quiet operation the ratcheting above referred to.

According to my invention, guiding wedge or element is a free of relatively stationary and to avoid the interlockin floating piece mounted around the conventional neck or wedge of the slider. This can thin material such as spring steel into position over the neck of the addingvery little to the cost be made of relatively and snapped slider thereby of manufacture. Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown for purposes of illustration several that my invention may assume in the drawing:

of my invention;

embodiments practice. In

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of the slider including my improved slider embodying one form Fig. 2,is a top view of the slider with the upper wing removed and aims to illustrate the portion of the fastener elements therein with respect to Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragment each other and the improved wedge member;

ary view and illustrates the fastener elements acting against the floating wedge member;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view and -snapped on or suitably shows the upper position of the floating wedge member;

Fig. 5 is a face view of the improved floating wedge member;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a slider incorporating my invention with parts broken away, and showing the floating wedge member in position;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view and shows the floating wedge in its upper position stopped by an auxiliary means;

Fig. 9 is a modification and illustrates a manner of securing the floating wedge to the neck of the slider.

wedge embraced by yieldable material between 0 the surfaces of the wedge and the neck of the slider.

The slider herein illustrated comprises an upper body member l2, lower body member I3, side flanges H and an integral neck well understood manner the slider rides over the fastener. elements I6, which are attached to stringer tapes I! and I8 respectively, to effect an engagement or separation of the fastener elements.

An-auxiliary member I9 is formed in a substantially V-shape and with its upper extremities turned inward to form smooth arcs 30. The width of this member l9, which will hereafter be referred to as a floating wedge or separator, is only slightly less than the depth of the slider channel, which will permit the member 19 to float freely in a lateral direction when it is placed around the rigid neck I5 of the slider. The length of the floating wedge l9 will be preferably long enough to permit two spaced elements on the stringer to bear against it, but not of sufficient length to'permit three elements to bear against it at one time.

The floating wedge placedv in surrounding relation to the rigid neck portion l5 of the slider. The sidesZil and 2 l, respectively, of this auxiliary wedge willform the cam surfaces against which the fastener elements will bear. wedge in place is free to float or move in a lateral direction at its lower end and also may be permitted to move endwise under any excessive pressure acting against it by the elements when the slider is moved in portion l5. In a,

I9 thus formed is now The floating a downward or opening direc- 3' tion. The wedge preferably has bearing contact with the rigid neck l5 at points 22 and 23, respectively, and is governed in the amount of its downward movement by these bearing surfaces.

As shown in Fig. 2, the fastener elements l6 secured on the tapes I! and I8. respectively, assume the relative position as illustrated upon either entering or leaving the diverging branches of the slider channel. This is due to the wedge displacing the stringers and elements in this manner in order to facilitate proper engagement or separation of the elements in the narrow part of the slider. brought to bear with considerable pressure against the wedge part of the slider, it is quite obvious that the elements will in the case of a rigid neck. be. directed to strike abruptly against the upper corner of the neck. This causes ratcheting of the elements as they pass over the neck portion of the slider with consequent vibration and noise when the slider is moved to effect engagement or separating of tlhe elements. And since the elements on one stringer are staggered in relation to the elementson the opposing stringer, it will be clear that the vibration set up by this ratcheting results in an undue noise.

In the operation of my improved slider whereupon I use the auxiiiary floating wedge, I mini mize this ratcheting effect. Referring to Fig. 3 and considering first the slider is moving in an upward or closing direction, it will be noted that the element "SA has just moved out of contact with the cam portion 20 of the floating wedge I9 and also ISO is approaching the neck. During this interval it will be clear that the elements IGD and IGE, respectively are sliding on the cam portion 2| of the floating wedge. The element I60 is approaching the slider channel and ordinarily without my invention would be hearing against the neck. It is this ratcheting of the neck on the elements on the opposite side that causes the zip or objectionable noise to which we have-referred. My invention avoids this by urging the end of the element out of contact with the neck or at least urging it enough so that it will not strike hard enough against the neck to cause a noise. This is accomplished by the force transmitted through the floating wedge by the elements IBD and I6E acting on the element IGB. This pushes the stringer carrying elements I63 and I60 outwardly toward the wedge of the slider thereby holding the element I60 far enough away from the neck" and floating wedge so that it will not'strike. Soon after the element IBC starts to bear against the floating wedge the element I 6D escapes over the end of the wedge. This allows the wedge to oscillate to the right and the condition which has just been described will be reversed. In other words, elements I6B and IGC will be bearing against the floating wedge urging the element IGE to the right just as element I 6F approaches the neck. This reverse condition will be observed in Fig. 2.

Ordinarily the situation brought about by moving the slider in a downward direction or toward an opening position will be no different than in moving the slider in an upward or closing direction. In either case the elements which are about to ratchet over the upper portions of the wedge will be held clear and ratcheting will be eliminated. The floating wedge being capable of lateral movement in either direction will operate to relieve the ratcheting effect of the elements. In general the floating wedge by its lateral move- Because the elements are thus 7 in a closing direction.

ment uses to advantage the state of unbalanced forces acting upon it by the elements as they enter the neck of the slider in such a way as to effectively eliminate any tendency for the elements to catch or ratchet over the neck of the slider as they ordinarily do in sliders of the type embodying a rigid separating wedge.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the floating wedge is capable of moving upward as well as moving laterally. This upward movement of the floating wedge is brought about by any condition which might tend to cause the fastener elements to jam and exert any excessive pressure against the ends or sides of the wedge member. Under a condition such as this which would be brought about only when the slider is being moved in an opening direction, it will be effectively relieved by the fact that the floating wedge can move upward and thereby facilitate the disengagement of the fastener elements. It will, of course, move back into its normal position as soon as the excessive pressure is relieved or at a time when the slider is moved upward or Preferably the rigid and integral neck portion of the slider will ordinarily stop the upward movement of the floating wedge. However, should it be desired to limit the upward movementof the wedge, it is possible to coin or suitably form a projection 24 in the body members of the slider. upward movement of the floating piece will be controlled by these projections as shown in Fig. 5.

While I have shown my invention in its preferred form, it is entirely possible to form the floating wedge in various ways, some of which I have shown in the modification illustrated in Figs. 9 to 11. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the floating wedge may be anchored to the integral neck portion 25 of the slider, or as shown in Fig. 10, it may be formed freely mounted and completely surrounding the integral neck portion of the slider with its upper portion being joined at 26 by welding or some suitable means. In some cases, it may be desirable to embrace the floating wedge member by placing between it and the integral neck portion of the slider a yieldable material 21 such as rubber.

It will be appreciated that my invention may be applied to any suitable slider for slide fasteners, and while it is shown and described herein as applied to the Sundback type coined slider, this is intended as no limitation but rather to set forth the invention in its preferred form.

While I have shown and described in this application one specific form and several modifications which my invention may assume, it will be understood that these modifications are merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as described in the appended claims.

What'I claim as my invention is:

1. In a slider for slide fasteners, a pair of plates, a rigid member connecting said plates and forming therewith a fastener member receiving channel, and resilient means associated with said last named member and yieldably engaging fastener members in said channel.

2. In a slider for slide fasteners, a slider body having an interior fastener member receiving channel, and resilient means in said channel yieldingly engaging fastener members in said channel.

3. A slider for slide fasteners of the class de- In this case. the

laterally relative to the fastener elements in the slider channel.

4. A slider for slide fasteners of the class described comprising a slider body with an interior channel through which the fastener elements pass, a substantially V-shaped separator in the channel adjacent one end thereof, means supporting said separator for yielding movement laterally relative to the slider in the slider channel, the apex of the V defined by said separator extending toward the intermediate portion of the slider and the sides of the V being longer than the space between two adjacent fastener elements on the stringer.

5. A slider for slide' fasteners comprising opposed plates each having side flanges, a central neck for uniting the plates, the neck and flanges forming a substantial Y-shaped channel, a floating separator comprising a thin metal piece mounted'on the neck-and extending around the sides of the neck, the separator being substantially wider at. the inner end of the neck than the neck itself whereby it is capable of lateral movement, the sides of the separator also being longer than the space between two adjacent fastener elements on the stringer.

6. A slider for slide fasteners comprising 0pposed plates having side flanges, a central neck for uniting the plates, the flanges and neck forming a substantial Y-shaped channel, each of the diverging branches of the channel on opposite sides of the neck being substantially wider than the length of a slide fastener element on the stringer, and a separator mounted between the plates and supported by said neck for yielding movement laterally of said neck and said channel.

'1. Theslider defined in the precedingclaim wherein the sides of said separator bearing against the fastener elements are; each longer than the spacing between two adjacent fastener elements on the stringer.

8. A slider for slide fasteners of the type including a pair of stringers having interlocking elements along their adjacent edges. comprising a pair of opposed plates, a neck connecting the plates at one end, and a triangular shaped floating wedge member surrounding the neck, said wedge member-being supported by said neck and having at least the major portion thereof free of' attachment to said neck, said wedge member being relatively movable with respect to said neck and said slider when the fastener elements contact said wedge in an opening or closing movement of the slider. I

9. The combination as defined'in claim 8 in which the floating wedge member-is supported for relative lateral movement.

10. The combination as defined in which the floating wedge member is supported for relative endwise movement.

11. A slider for slide fasteners of the type including a pair of stringers having interlocking elements along their adjacent edges, comprising in combination a pair of opposed plates, said plates having cams disposed substantially perpendicular to the plates, said cam surfaces forming a substantially Y-shaped channel, said plates joined together in opposed alignment by a neck ed around said neck, said floating wedge being capable of relative movement, the relative clearance between the apex of said floating wedge and the inward extremity ofsaid slider neck being greater than the relative clearance between said floating wedge and said slider neck at their out-' ward extremities.

GEORGE M. BECKWITH.

claim in r at one end, and a floating wedge element mount- 

